


Comfortable in My Skin

by inkandpencil



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, kink meme fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2017-12-31 17:00:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkandpencil/pseuds/inkandpencil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tooth meets with her friend at their favorite coffee shop.  Which happens to have a new barista behind the counter who is rather easy on the eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just haven't met you yet

**Author's Note:**

> My response to a prompt on the Kink Meme.  
>  _I've seen some prompts where Jack is actually a girl and pretends to be a boy. But I prefer it the other way around. Also I'm a sucker for Coffeeshop AU's I'm sorry._
> 
> _Human!AU where Jack was born a boy but has always had a thing for 'girly stuff'. He enjoys dressing up and even using small amounts of makeup to the point where he does this every day._  
>  _Jacks feels secure under his masquerade but hasn't had any serious/long lasting relationships due to fear what the other person would say when they found out about his gender._  
>  _At his favorite coffee shop he meets Aster who started working there part time. Aster is immediately interested in Jack because Whoa! Have you seen that beauty and her smile?! He begins to draw little things on Jacks cup and starts small conversations whenever he gets the chance (during his order, when Aster cleans the place, etc)._  
>  _Eventually they start seeing each other when Aster's off the job until they start to deeply care for each other._
> 
> _\- Author decides Jack's cover up name_  
>  _\- Jack doesn't dislike his gender but just really likes to look feminine and feels comfortable in girl's clothes and underwear (because it's just so cute)_  
>  _\- I'm open for any idea how Aster learns about Jack's secret. Be it Jack himself, an accident, his ex-boyfriend, Aster noticing it himself (maybe during make-out sessions, or if his hand reaches lower etc) or any other scenario._
> 
> _+10 if Jack wears a wig (because his parents never allowed him to grow out his hair? Any reason is fine though)_  
>  _+100 if Jack confessed his secret to his first lover which resulted in him being called weird and gross_  
>  _+1000 if Aster doesn't know how to react after he found out about Jack's body and maybe even breaks off their contact for a while since he's just fucking confused and Jack is hurt_  
>  _+10000000 if Aster gives Jack head in a dress and girl's underwear even though he's really unsure because he's never tasted dick and the idea of a blowjob felt weird at first_  
>  _+100000000000000 if there's a happy end_

Toothiana, known as Tooth by her friends, entered the coffee shop and headed up to the counter, only to be approached by a barista she did not recognize. He was a handsome rogue, tall and tanned with a lop-sided smile that lit up his bright green eyes. She was caught off-guard by his easy smile; most of the other baristas always gave her the impression they wanted to be anywhere else but there on the other side of the counter and wanted to do anything else but take her order and make her drink. This guy, though...

"What can I getcha, pretty bird?" he asked with his smile. Tooth had to shake herself, realizing he wanted her order.

"Ah, uhm...a 20 ounce Raspberry Truffle Latte and a 20 ounce White Hot Chocolate, please," she replied. He nodded, jotting down her order before ringing it up.

"Both good drinks. Y'that thirsty, though?" he asked. "Total's gonna be $6.45." She handed him the money, making sure to slip a couple dollars into the tip jar.

"No. The Latte is mine. The hot chocolate is for my friend," she replied. "Who should be joining me shortly, actually." She glanced over her shoulder and out the windows.

"Traffic's hell out there, my understandin'. Mebbe yer friend's run into some snag o' traffic? It'll be ready in a touch."

"Maybe. And thanks." Moving away, Tooth chose a table and made her way to it, sitting down and pulling a book out from her purse to read as she waited.

She didn't have to wait too long. Just as the barista called out the drinks she'd ordered, the door opened and in swept her friend.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm so sorry, Tooth!" the lass said, breathlessly. "You'd never believe the traffic out there! I nearly got run over like, almost five times!" Tooth picked up the mugs with a small smile and nod at the barista, whom she noticed was noticing the new arrival. The barista caught her eye and grinned; he'd heard the comment about the traffic.

"It's okay, Jaquelyn. The drinks just came up anyways," she responded, gently herding her friend to their table. The wheels in her head began to spin when she saw Jaquelyn double-take the barista, barely managing to suppress a smirk as they sat down and her friend turned to her.

"Who is that?"

"The new barista?"

"Yeah...."

"Not sure. He's got a rough accent that I can't quite place. British-ish, but almost too harsh for it."

"Aussie?"

"Maybe. Or Kiwi. You know I have trouble discerning accents. Why don't you go talk to him for a while? You're good at picking up things like that." The look she received from that suggestion almost made her crack up. Jacquelyn's pretty blue eyes got wide, a blush darkening her carefully blushed cheeks, and she tucked a lock of shoulder-length white hair behind her ear. Tooth was pleased to see that her friend's parents had finally relented and allowed her to stop dying her hair; what little the wig didn't cover blended in now.

"No way! He's...he's probably too busy to talk to me, anyways." Excuse, and Tooth knew it. 

"You'll never get another boyfriend if you don't reach out and try," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, yeah. Because we all know how my last relationship turned out," was the sarcastic response.

"Jackie," Tooth said softly, "he was an ass. He didn't deserve you and you know it!"

"He dumped me the moment I told him I was more comfortable dressing like this," Jaquelyn gestured at herself.

"Exactly. He didn't and doesn't deserve you. Speaking of your dress though, does it fit? Do I get to make you more?" Smoothly, Tooth changed the subject, and the pair delved deeply into the topic of Jaquelyn's outfits.

Meanwhile, the new barista stood near his co-worker, a slim young man with tousled red hair. They were both working at cleaning the cups, the redhead washing while he dried them. As he did so, he casually observed the two ladies.

"Out of your league, Tooth is," the redhead said softly.

"Okay, but what about th' silvery-haired one?"

"Are you insane, Aster? Jaquelyn doesn't date anymore. Had a messy breakup last year and hasn't dated since." THAT got his attention. He turned to look at the redhead, carefully placing the now-dried cups where they belonged.

"What happened, Thom?"

Thom shrugged. "Not sure. One day, she was practically on the verge of being betrothed, the next he was pfft." Thom gestured with a thumb, jerking it over his shoulder. "Gone. And Jackie was heartbroken and in tears, poor girl. Spent most of my next two paychecks buying her hot chocolates just to get her to crack a weak smile."

"Sweet on her?" Aster asked, subtly delving for information on whether he'd have competition or not.

"Nah. Sweet girl; more like a kid sister than anything," Thom said, unknowingly easing Aster's mind. Though he picked up a trace of something in the other guy's voice that he couldn't put his finger on. More people entered the coffee shop, derailing their conversation and distracting Aster from his contemplation of the silver-haired beauty and her captivating smile.


	2. Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match!"  
> Someone is sneaky. In fact, three people are sneaky, but in very different ways.

Over the course of the next month, Aster learned that Jaquelyn only drank the hot chocolates, that she came to the coffee shop at least once a day, that she loved art, that her parents were still controlling her even though she was away at college, and that she had a habit of tucking a lock of hair behind her ear at any given time. Jaquelyn learned that Aster was only part-time, that he was an art student at the college, that he was born and raised in Australia and misses it, that he was always ready to doodle, and that he was single. She made it a point to learn his schedule from Thom, who was sworn to secrecy not to tell Aster ANYTHING.

She also started getting her drinks to go, even if she was going to be at the coffee shop for a while, because Aster always drew something on her cup that made her smile. She'd discovered that when she'd stopped in once, but had been unable to stay.

One day, she entered the shop and was surprised to only see Thom behind the counter. Before she even got the chance to open her mouth to say anything, Aster came rushing through the door behind her.

"Thom! I'm so sorry, mate! Totally lost track of time!"

"New art project?" Thom asked, giving Jaquelyn a sly wink. The late barista hadn't even noticed her in his mad rush.

"Yah. Total free range of medium and subject, too," was Aster's reply as he threw his bag into the back and tied on an apron.

"Got a muse, I take it?" Jaquelyn asked with a smile, stepping up to the counter.

"Snowflake!" Aster blurted out both in surprise and as an answer, if they way he slapped his hand over his mouth was anything to go by. She giggled at him, blushing a little. Aster looked good tousled from the rush to get here, his blue-gray hair windblown, his cheeks rosy with exertion. Jaquelyn blushed a little more as her mind followed that thought downward.

"White today?" Aster asked, trying to recover and change the subject all at once. She decided to take pity on him.

"Yes, please," she nodded. "To go, please," she added swiftly, earning a lop-sided grin from him.

"Yeh got it!" While Aster worked to get her white hot chocolate ready, Thom rang her up. He smiled at her as he told her the total and took the cash she handed to him.

"If you want my unsolicited opinion, you should totally go for it," he said softly so only she would hear him. She blushed and shot him a neatly contrived confused look. "Don't look at me like that; you know exactly what I'm talking about." She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him as she placed two dollars into the tip jar. "Charmed, I'm sure," he drolled, smiling at her as she moseyed over and claimed a table. If he wasn't mistaken, Jaquelyn would be alone today. Which meant no Tooth; which meant that maybe, just maybe, he could manage a little match-making.

He bided his time, letting Aster finish the drink and put it out there for Jaquelyn, calling her name and watching her approach the counter to get it from him. Thom observed the subtle flirting they did; the looks, the smiles, the almost-a-touch-of-fingers when Aster handed her the tall paper cup. Oh, yeah. He was totally going to push at this until they at least went on a date!

After about half an hour and a lot of customers, Thom decided to put a little bit of his plan into action. He called Aster over and asked the other man to go out and wipe down the tables that weren't occupied after their rush. With a shrug, Aster grabbed up the cleaning cloth and a dry cloth and headed out to the tables. There weren't many people still in the coffee shop, but Jaquelyn was sitting at a table near the back of the shop and Thom couldn't help himself as he hoped the two would end up in a conversation. Maybe she'd actually listen to him this time.

Aster had gotten almost all of the tables wiped down and was approaching the last one when he realized it was right next to Jaquelyn. He smiled to himself, wondering if Thom was trying to play matchmaker then discarding that thought. Didn't seem Thom's style.

"Didn't realize yeh'd hidden yerself back here, Snowflake," he said softly, casually testing out the nickname he'd blurted out earlier. She looked up from her book and smiled at him; he took that as approval of the nickname.

"Yeah. It's a lovely little nook for when it's just me. Tooth likes to sit up by the windows, but when it's just me, I feel like I'm on display," she said, placing a bookmark in the book and closing it. Her delicate fingers caught his eye for a moment and he had to jerk himself back into awareness. She was looking at him amusedly curious.

"Yeh've got delicate hands." He felt like an ass; but everything about her caught his eye. He'd already filled half a sketchbook with drawings and doodles that all pretty much revolved around the lovely lady sitting at this table in the back nook. She blushed prettily, dropping her gorgeous blue gaze to her hands.

"I do?" she asked, reaching up with one of those hands to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. He'd figured out that she wore wigs a while ago, and all of them of the same silvery white as her actual hair. Aster didn't understand why, but he wasn't about to ask.

"Yah." He paused, then let out a soft and embarrassed chuckle. "That sounded creepy, didn't it?"

"No!" she responded swiftly, then blushed. "No. Not at all." She was looking down at the table in embarrassment. "It was sweet, actually."

Aster's heart leapt in his chest. "Yeh...wanna drop by th'art studio on campus some time? I can...I can show yeh what I'm workin' on. If yeh wanna see it..." Jaquelyn looked up swiftly, happiness sparkling in her sweet blue eyes.

"Can I? I mean, I'd love to!" she replied with a bright smile. Once more, Aster found himself enraptured by that expression on her face.

"Yah," he responded, a grin spreading across his own face. "Wouldn't've offered it if I wasn' gonna follow through, y'know." The joy that took over her face was worth every ounce of anxiety he was going to experience later, he felt. Especially when she bounced up out of her chair and flung her arms around his neck in a hug. His breath caught, but he swiftly wrapped one arm around her slender waist and laughed. "I'll take that as an I ought ta expect yer visit soon."

"Very!" she nodded, pulling away and smiling up at him. The unrestrained happiness on her face made him want to kiss her breathless, but he managed to hold himself back. "Can I come by tomorrow?"

"Yeh can come by this eve, after I get off work, if'n yeh want," he replied with a one-shoulder shrug. He hadn't thought her smile could get brighter, but it did.

"I'd love to!"

"Then I'll see yeh there 'bout 7:30?"

"I'll be there!"

On the other side of the counter, Thom smiled a very secretive, very pleased smile to himself.


	3. Kiss da girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaquelyn gets a surprise, in more than one way. And Aster gets to be sorta sneaky.

Jaquelyn was running late. Not because she'd tried on multiple outfits in an attempt to find the right one (though she had), but because she'd had trouble finding the one unlocked door to the studio. She rushed down the halls trying not to twist her ankles in her heels, which were NOT meant for rushing around in! Her skirt swished about her knees as she turned a corner and paused. Was that **Aster's** voice? He was singing a song she'd never heard before, but it was cut off by a crash followed by cursing. She giggled softly behind her hand. Yes, that was Aster! Slowly, she approached the only room with an open door and peeked in.

Aster was inside, crouching over a box on the floor, chalk pastels scattered about. He was still cursing, but it was softer now. It made her giggle, though, and he looked up to see her standing in the doorway. His eyes lit up as a wonderfully lop-sided smile spread across his face.

"Yeh made it!" he said, standing and dusting the chalk off his jeans. Jeans he looked _really_ good in.

"I said I would," Jaquelyn replied with a smile, trying to silence the part of her mind telling her she totally needed to go for this. Aster was nice, handsome, kind, sexy, had a great sense of humor, and was very intelligent. Not to mention exotic to her; talk about tall, dark, and handsome, Aster was all of that!

Aster's grin turned a mite rueful. "Yah, I know," he replied softly, reaching up to run a hand through his curls and leaving behind a smudge of chalk. "Sorry. I've jes' never invited someone ta come in here ta see what I'm workin' on," he admitted, blushing a little.

"Really?" she asked, entering the studio and walking over to him. The chalk was still on the floor, so she crouched down carefully to start picking it up. She'd only managed a few pieces before his larger hands took hold of hers. Looking up at him in surprise, Jaquelyn found herself caught by his green eyes.

"Leave it. I'll get 'em in a minute," she heard him say. He gave her a sheepish smile. "Pickin' up my messes ain't what yer here fer, anyways. Lemme show yeh 'fore I can't bring meself ta do so." She nodded, letting him take the chalk she'd picked up to drop into the box. He rose to his feet, helping her to do so as well, then pulled gently on her hands which he still held. She gently stepped over the mess and allowed him to lead her.

He led her over to what appeared to be a canvas with a cloth draped over it on an easel. She stopped when he dropped her hands, watching as he turned to it and carefully pulled the cloth off. What had been hidden away was revealed and it took her breath away.

It was a watercolor painting of _her_.

"Oh, Aster..." she said softly, breathlessly. "It's...beautiful...." She tore her gaze away to look up at him and had her breath stolen away again by the sheer intensity of the way he was looking at her. As if he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

...If only he knew....

She blushed and looked back at the painting because she couldn't stand the intensity of his gaze.

"Yeh asked if I had a muse..." he began, causing her to look at him again in surprise. He was no longer looking at her, but at the painting, blushing once again.

"You said 'Snowflake'," she replied with a soft smile, stepping a little closer to him and to the painting. As she looked back at the painting, she noticed details she couldn't see from where she'd stood before.

"Yah. Sorry 'bout that, by the way," he said, and she could practically feel it when he turned to look at her. "Didn't mean ta jes' blurt that out at yeh."

"Not that I minded," she giggled softly, looking up at him from under her lashes though she never turned her face from the painting. "Though, why 'Snowflake'?" she asked, amused when his blush darkened.

"Yeh jes' kinda... yeh make me think of snow an' winter, I s'pose," he replied. She turned to face him completely, feeling her cheeks warm as she blushed. She watched his gaze drop a little, then dart back up to hers. The moment hung between them, tense in a good way. "Wanna kiss yeh," he murmured. She thought it sounded like he hadn't meant to give voice to his thought.

"Please," she whispered. He wasted no time, reaching out to tuck his hand around the back of her neck and leaning down to her. The first brush of their lips was sweet and short; but then Aster pressed forward to apply more pressure and the kiss made Jaquelyn feel like she was melting. One of her hands rested against his chest, over his heart, the other was wrapping it's way around his shoulders even as his other arm wound around her waist. Even though he took her breath away with the kiss, he didn't press it much beyond chaste.

After a moment, he pulled away a little, pressing his forehead against hers. They were both rather breathless, eyes locked on each other, the rest of the world no longer existing.

"Been wantin' ta do that fer a bit," Aster admitted. Jaquelyn giggled a little, trying to keep her body under control.

"Why didn't you?" she teased, unable to help the devilish glint in her eyes. Aster laughed at that and the sound sent shivers down her spine.

"Didn't think I'd be allowed. Thom told me yeh don't date, so I didn' want ta press my luck much," he replied once his laughter had died down. "Figured I'd have ta be sneaky ta get yeh out on a date." The look in his green eyes made her narrow her own.

"Aster, are you trying to tell me we're on a date?"

"Only if yeh want ta be on one," he replied, pulling away completely. He was offering her a chance to refuse, a chance to stop things before they got too far. And she found she couldn't, didn't want to take it.

"I'd like that," she said shyly.

"Then let me clean up my mess an' how 'bout I take yeh fer tea?" he asked, giving her his gorgeous lop-sided smile before heading over to the chalk and crouching to clean it up.

"Tea?" she asked him, confused, as he swiftly picked up the chalk. The way he looked crouched in those jeans should be illegal, she thought to herself. He picked up the box and straightened up; she could tell he was trying to figure out the proper term. "Oh! Do you mean dinner?" Aster nodded, taking the box over to the other side of the studio.

"Yah, sorry," he said when he turned back to her. He walked over to the door and extended his hand with a smile. She returned it and made her way over to him, slipping her hand into his. Together, they left the studio, hand in hand.


	4. The Worst Day Since Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bomb is dropped.

"So, you're the one." Aster turned in mild confusion at the sneer in the speaker's voice. On the other side of the counter was a relatively attractive young man. At least, he would have been attractive if he wasn't wearing the sneer Aster'd heard and looking him up and down disdainfully.

"Beg pardon?" he asked, one eyebrow quirking up as he wiped his hands on a towel.

"You're the poor fool Jack has nailed," the guy responded dryly. From the corner of his eye, Aster saw Jaquelyn's head snap up, those beautiful ice blue eyes wide with fear. Behind him, he heard Thom come out of the office and pause. This guy reeked of malice, as far as the Aussie was concerned. Nothing but bad news.

"Not sure I follow yeh, mate. Yeh want summat?" he asked, trying to be polite and finding it difficult when the guy laughed.

"You mean you don't **know**?! Oh, that's just _perfect_!" the guy said loudly. Aster caught the movement of Jaquelyn getting out of her chair and glanced over at her. She was paler than normal and looked like she was having difficulty breathing. She was also staring at the guy on the other side of the counter in fear, and that brought out the Aussie's protective side. Before he could speak, though, someone else did.

"Pitchiner! You know you're not allowed in Santoff Clausen!"

"Oh, hallo, Thom," Pitchiner drolled before leaning forward and pinning Aster with his golden eyes. "Your girlfriend isn't a girl, _mate_. Trust me, I know. He's my ex-boyfriend." Aster gave the unpleasant guy before him a confused look. Pitchiner rolled his eyes. "Jacquelyn, you moro-oh, no...."

" **BLACK!** " boomed a new voice. Pitchiner paled as Aster turned.

Nicholas St. North, owner of the coffee shop, was stalking toward the counter, his brow thunderous. Pitchiner took a step back away from the counter. Aster was impressed; he hadn't thought the jovial Russian could have intimidated many, but apparently he'd been wrong!

"You will quit the premises before I count three, or it will be by police escort that you will be leaving! Do not let door hit you on the way out, either!" the large man growled. Aster'd never seen anyone disappear so swiftly before. He stared at the door, trying to figure out what the guy had been talking about. He'd intimated that Jaquelyn wasn't a girl, which confused the Aussie beyond belief. Before he could chase that thought further, a large hand descended upon his shoulder.

"Go to office, Aster," Nicholas said softly. Aster nodded once and did as asked, heading right to the office. He glanced over to find Jaquelyn just before entering the office, only to have to search for her. He found her, trembling, pale, and crouched next to her chair, Nicholas crouched next to her talking softly to her. He watched her place her delicate hand in the larger one that the Russian held out, then Nicholas helped her to stand and began to lead her back. To the office. Aster stepped just inside, took off his apron, and leaned against the desk, staring at the floor as he tried to figure out what exactly was going on.

Nicholas led her into the office and to one of the chairs, helping her to sit down in it. She looked so pale and was trembling so much, it made Aster want to just gather her up in his arms and hold her and tell her everything would be fine. Her eyes met his for a moment before she looked away, as if ashamed.

"I will leave you two here to discuss," Nicholas said softly. "No throwing things, and no yelling." He gave Aster a warning look as he closed the door behind him, leaving the two in the office.

"I-I'm sorry." The words were barely whispered, but they brought Aster's attention to Jaquelyn. Moving slowly so as not to startle her, he moved to the other chair and sat down. 

"Far as I can see, yeh don't have anythin' ta be apologizin' fer," he replied softly, reaching out and taking her hand. She shook her head, looking up at him through long lashes. Her ice blue eyes were shimmering pools and he realized she was crying. The expression in those eyes stopped him from moving; she was devastated.

"Yes, I do!" she cried, her eyes squeezing shut. "You've been absolutely _wonderful_ , Aster, better than I deserve. But I've n-not been totally honest with you. Pitchiner..." she gasped, her eyes flying wide open at his low growl, but she recognized that it wasn't directed at her. She swallowed hard before continuing. "He's my ex. He's the reason I didn't date. He...he called me such names when he broke up with me. 'Freak.' 'Disgusting.' 'Gross.'"

"Yer none of-" he trailed off when she began to cry harder and shook her head.

"I am! I am!" she sobbed. "Tooth and Thom and Nich know because Tooth has always known and I told Pitchiner here! I vowed n-never to date again because I d-didn't want to go through that ever again!" Aster felt his stomach sinking, a feeling of dread starting to overwhelm him.

"Snowflake?" he whispered, getting a choked sob in response before she began speaking again, her eyes squeezed shut as if she were afraid to look at him.

"And then you had to come along! With y-your handsomeness and your kindness and your fl-flirting and I c-couldn't help it! I c-couldn't say n-no to you, n-not really, and y-you swept me off my feet, d-damn you! N-now you're g-going to d-do the s-same thing!"

The pieces were falling into new places in Aster's mind; why Jaquelyn didn't date, why she wore a wig, her preference for pretty chokers, why her hips were narrower than other girls' on campus.

"Snowflake?" he asked, pleading with her. She opened devastated blue eyes and met his gaze. "What're yeh tryin' ta tell me?"

"I'm a g-guy, Aster. M-my name's Jack, n-not Jaquelyn," she admitted softly, dropping her gaze.

Even though he was coming to that conclusion, to hear the admission from those kissable lips rocked him back on his heels internally. He gave her hand in his a gentle squeeze which only served to make her start to cry harder again.

"S-say it," she whispered through her sobs. "T-tell me how d-disgusting I am!" That forced Aster back into the here and now.

"Yer not," he said. "I...I need some...need some time, I think." She cried harder, but nodded. Aster slowly stood up and she (he?) let go of his hand. Reaching out, he hesitated before gently cupping her (his?) chin and tilted her (his?) head up. "Yer not a freak and yer not disgusting," he said, then he left the office.

Nicholas came in a few minutes later with a hot chocolate he'd made himself for her. He set it on his desk, sat down in the chair Aster had vacated, and pulled the sobbing Jaquelyn into his lap. She curled into him, crying against his chest.

"This will sort itself out for the better," he said, smoothing her hair. "You will see. I feel it in my belly!" She gave a strangled sort of chuckle, but it was enough.


	5. Enter Sandman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is sneaky. And they have help.

Sanderson Mansnoozie (Sandy, to his friends) preferred to think of himself as a very patient man. But after almost two weeks of listening to his friend and fellow artist Aster Bunnymund talk of one Jaquelyn (or Jack, because Sandy had known, too) Frost, he felt he was very much in the right for what he was about to do.

He and Aster were out and about when he steered them around the corner and down the sidewalk. Aster sighed softly and Sandy frowned. Aha! There it was! And Tooth had pulled through, too, he was pleased to see. He paused and Aster did the same after only two steps. Sandy watched Aster stop dead mid-turn, the Aussie's eyes riveted on the window of Santoff Clausen and the very sad-looking Jaquelyn sitting across from Tooth inside. As he'd expected, Aster pulled out his phone and started typing what the mute man guessed was a text. Once the text was sent, Aster stared at the window.

Sandy shifted his attention in time to watch Jaquelyn pull out her cell phone and read a text. He watched her gasp, saw Tooth's concern and the small, hopeful smile on Jaquelyn's face as she spoke to her friend and replied to the text. Aster's phone buzzed a moment later and Sandy saw the smile bloom on the Aussie's face. Good; he'd have to let Tooth know that his plan was a success, but he figured she already knew as he resumed walking, Aster falling into step beside him.

"Yeh planned tha', didn't yeh, yeh little shyte." At Aster's accusation, Sandy schooled his expression into one of curious innocence. His friend simply looked at him, unconvinced. Sighing and pouting, he spread his hands and shrugged. He pointed to the Aussie, moved his hand to signal talking, then jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the coffee shop. The taller man sighed.

"Yah, I getcha. I been runnin' my gob 'bout her..." Aster frowned. "Him. Dammit! Oh, rack off ya drongo." Sandy was dying with silent laughter as the pair continued down the street, one-sided banter audible as they walked.


	6. Begin Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now comes the time for some truths and some questions and maybe a few answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for having kept you all waiting! Hope the wait was worth it!

Aster waited nervously outside the art studio on campus, unable to focus enough to work on anything. His sketchbook was tucked into his bag and he had his drawing pencils and erasers in one of the pockets. The book was nearly full, but he wanted to have it as proof of his words, the various things he wanted to tell the one he was waiting for clustering about in his mind.

He heard the soft click of her heels on the sidewalk just before she rounded the corner of the building and turned just in time to see her stop short, surprised to see him there. He couldn't help the relieved smile that bloomed on his face.

"Yeh came," he breathed. She tucked a lock of silvery hair behind her ear and blushed cutely. One of these days, Aster decided, he'd ask her why she wore wigs.

"Of course I did," she said, smiling shyly. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"I was tryin' not ta think that, actually," he replied. She approached him cautiously, and he offered her his arm. "You'da been well within yer rights ta just leave me hangin', I figger."

"That would hardly be fair, though," she said as she took his arm. Having her there felt more right to Aster than he'd realized before.

"Treatin' yeh tha way I did was hardly fair. Truth told, I was hopin' we could have ourselves a chinwag an' see how things go from there. I got questions an' I got a few answers o' me own ta share." He began to lead her away from the studio building.

"A 'chinwag'?" she asked with a smile, then shook her head. "Nevermind. I think I know what you're talking about. I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can."

"'Sall I ask," Aster said, leading her to his motorcycle and pulling the helmet from the seat, offering it to her. With an odd look, Jaquelyn accepted the helmet and put it on. Aster hopped onto the bike, taking his bag off in the process and offering it to her once she had the helmet on and secured. "Would yeh mind holdin' this?" he asked sheepishly. She smiled shyly and took the bag, slinging the strap over her head to rest on the opposite shoulder. Then she carefully got onto the bike behind him.

"If I had known I'd be riding your motorcycle, I wouldn't have worn a skirt," she said, wry amusement coloring her tone.

"Yeh look cute in it, though," he replied before starting the bike up. He was careful as he pulled out and was pleasantly surprised when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. He couldn't help but hope it was a good sign.

They rode in silence until they arrived outside Santoff Clausen. Aster parked the bike with ease and turned it off.

"Why here?" Jaquelyn asked as she carefully pulled the helmet off.

"Where else d'yeh think we could go ta get privacy but's also neutral territory?" he replied, slipping off the bike carefully before her, offering her a hand off the bike. She accepted his hand and gracefully got off the bike, leaving Aster wondering how she'd managed to get to be so graceful. She nodded in agreement.

"True," she agreed. In no time, they were inside with their orders, claiming a table at the very back in an alcove. Thom had insisted their drinks were on him and had mentioned hoping to see Aster back to work soon. Jaquelyn had waited, giving the Aussie an odd look when they sat down. "What did Thom mean? You're not working here anymore?" she asked, concerned.

"North gave me a paid leave o' absence," Aster responded, staring into his mug. "Guess he didn' want me ta have any kind o' negative effect fer yeh. I don' rightly blame him, either. Gave me time ta get my head on straight an' fer a friend ta give me a swift kick in tha tail." She couldn't help but giggle at the mental image that brought up, having a pretty good idea which friend he was referring to.

"So, you coming back to work is contingent upon us coming to an agreement of some type?" she asked, once her giggles had died out. He nodded.

"Essentially. But I figger that's what we're here fer, right?" he asked, still staring into his mug. The silence drew out for a moment, beginning to think about becoming tense as he took a sip of his drink. When he sat his mug down, he met her eyes. She was surprised by the confusion in them. "Why didn't yeh tell me?"

"How was I supposed to?" she began with a small shrug. They were to it, then. "There isn't a very good time to do so, Aster. Besides, after..." she trailed off, leaving the name unspoken but understood between them, "I wasn't exactly _looking_ to be verbally ripped apart again."

"Yeh really thought I would?" he asked, startled and looking slightly horrified. "We've been datin' fer roughly six months now, Snowflake. I ain't gonna change how I am overnight."

"I didn't know that. I was terrified and the topic never came up. How could I know your views?" At that, Aster nodded and sighed.

"Fair enough. Speakin' of - I'm so sorry I made yeh wait near two weeks 'fore I reached out ta yeh," he said, reaching down and opening his bag. "But I can prove yeh were on my mind near constantly."

"Oh?" she inquired, extremely curious now. Aster nodded and pulled out the sketchbook that he'd had hidden in the bag. Gently, he sat it on the table between them.

"This was a new sketchbook. Unused, till I started fillin' it with sketches an' drawin's mebbe a day after our 'talk'," he said, carefully sliding it over to her. Slowly, giving him a puzzled look, she opened it to the first page.

On the page was a beautifully colored drawing of her, sitting at one of Santoff Clausen's tables, looking out the windows at the world beyond. Jaquelyn turned the pages in flattered astonishment; each page had sketches, full drawings, paintings, water colors, all of her.

"Aster," she breathed, turning another page to see a sketch of her in a gorgeous gown, "these are _beautiful_."

"Whole book's jes' yeh," he said softly. When she glanced up at him, she noticed he was blushing and not quite meeting her gaze. "Couldn' stop thinkin' 'bout yeh. My imagination's a right bugger o' a bitch when it wants ta be, an' so I kept seein' yeh in different things, different poses." She gasped softly when she turned another page to see herself in a rather risqué outfit. He coughed, and she noted that his blush was darker.

"So I see," she murmured, unable to help the small smile that curled her lips. There were three pages at the end of the sketchbook which were blank. She stared at one of them, then pulled a pen out of her purse and started to doodle. She felt his eyes on her as she worked, but she didn't look up until she was done.

He turned the book back towards himself so he could see it and his eyes got a little wide before looking up at her. It may not have been the best drawing, but he could tell without a doubt that she'd just drawn him. Offering her a small smile, he reached out and gently took her hand. He hoped the silent gesture would also help her to realize that he'd meant everything he'd said.

"I love yeh, Snowflake," he said softly before realizing what he'd just said. He felt the blush warm his cheeks again, but she was blushing, too. Shyly, she met his gaze, her ice-blue eyes drawing him in as much now as they ever had.

"I love you, too, Aster." She glanced around the coffee shop before licking her lips and leaning forward slightly, squeezing his hand a little. "Want to go somewhere less.... _neutral territory_?" she asked, barely above a whisper, a mischevious glint in her eyes that made him quirk a curious eyebrow at her.

"Where d'yeh got in mind?" he asked just as softly, leaning forward a little as well. The slightly wicked grin that crossed her face made his heart race, just as it had every time she'd ever turned it on him.

"How about your place?" She laughed as he swiftly stood, scooping his sketchbook into his bag, swinging it over his shoulder as he offered her his hand. She was nervous, true, but she also felt the sweet sting of anticipation running through her veins. Aster still loved her, and had admitted as much! She accepted the offered hand and let him lead her from the coffee shop.


	7. It's Gettin' Hot In Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are still questions and answers to be given, but that's how it is in any relationship. Now, however, is not the time for questions or answers. Just....hey, where'd all that steam come from?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Whew! Thank goodness the holidays are over; maybe I'll get a little more time back....oh, no, I won't. We're moving halfway across the country in a little less than 2 months, so now comes all the packing in earnest. Still, I hope to get the rest of CiMS written (no, it's not done yet. Almost, though!) and posted for you! Also, I would like to apologize for taking almost a month to get this chapter posted for you. Hope it's worth the wait!

The ride to Aster's flat was uneventful, but the tension between them grew steadily as they rode. It carried them from the motorcycle when Aster parked to the door of his flat and inside. But once inside, it seemed to dissipate completely.

"Sorry fer tha mess," he murmured as she followed him inside. Only to gasp softly as she looked around while he closed the door behind them. There were a couple of easels set up, a small one on the small dining table and a bigger one a little further in the living room. Both of them had in-process paintings on them and both were of her. There were open sketchbooks and loose pages scattered over nearly every surface, and while some were still-life drawings and sketches of flowers in vases and bowls of fruit, most were also of her or parts of her. She recognized her eyes on one of the loose pages and wondered how he managed to imply her blush without drawing it. She hadn't realized she'd picked up the page until he came up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh, Aster," she said softly, turning her head to look up at him with a small smile, blushing. "I had no idea..."

"Didn't want yeh ta," he said, offering her a self-depreciating smile. "Didn't want yeh ta think I was...odd." Turning fully in his arms, she chuckled, happy to see his smile turn into a true one.

"I don't think I could ever think you 'odd', my artist. You're far too exotic and interesting," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jaquelyn raised up on her toes as Aster leaned down, the two meeting in a sweet kiss that swiftly shifted from sweet to passionate. The chastity of their previous kisses was markedly absent in this one. When the kiss ended, Aster moved to clear his couch of sketches and sketchbooks. Jaquelyn giggled. They were both breathless and flush, but she was hesitant. The smile her tall Aussie gave her, however, eased her trepidation. When he gestured to the couch and sat down, she joined him.

She shifted on the couch, and he was a little surprised as she cuddled up against him. When she looked up at him, though, he couldn't help the thoughts that raced through his mind. Her lips were a little swollen from their kiss moments before and her cheeks were flush and rosy. Aster found himself unable to resist kissing those sweet lips, so he leaned down and did just that.

One kiss led to another and before they realized it, Aster's shirt was unbuttoned and hanging open and Jaquelyn's shirt had been rucked up to her chest, one of Aster's hands sliding up a pale and slender thigh. They broke the kiss when tanned fingers brushed the hem of her skirt. He looked down into beautiful ice blue eyes, silently asking permission to continue, though he wasn't exactly certain where this was going to go. The knowledge that his Snowflake wasn't truly as she appeared was forefront on his mind, and he was starting to get a little hesitant. But not enough to stop. At her slight nod, his hand slipped up under the skirt, sliding until it was pressed against....

Jaquelyn gasped at the touch and the pressure, fingers curling in the skirt a bit and unintentionally lifting it. Aster dropped kisses onto the pale skin of her stomach, slowly inching his way down to the top of her skirt. His hand did not idle, shifting the panties aside to gently withdraw the hardness they contained. It was strange to feel; a weight in his hand that differed from his own, though not in an unpleasant way. He pulled away and looked down, hesitating only because he'd never done something like this before.

"Aster, y-you don't have to," she said, sensing his hesitation. He leaned up and kissed her - him, actually, what with the hot length pressing against his palm.

"I know," he responded. "I want ta, though. I want ta be with yeh, no matter what." He gave her a smile and resumed where he'd left off, shifting down to better access his goal. He'd experienced it before, surely it wasn't as difficult to give as to receive? When he glanced up at her, the blush on her cheeks had darkened and her eyes were closed. So, he focused.

Hesitantly and uncertain of the reaction either of them would make, he licked at the underside. Jaquelyn - no, _Jack_ , for that's who they were in this moment; Aster and Jack - gasped sharply, fingers curling into the skirt he still wore and gripping tightly. Encouraged by the reaction (and admitting to himself it _was_ rather hot to hear and see and know that it was because of something _he_ was responsible for), Aster jumped head first in, wrapping his mouth around Jack's length and _sucking_. The cry he earned from that pulled a moan from him, causing Jack's fingers to relinquish their hold on the poor skirt and wind into Aster's curls. He decided he liked that, and the reactions he was eliciting from his Snowflake egged him on.

After several minutes, Jack tugged sharply on Aster's hair, pulling another moan from the artist, barely managing to stutter his name out. Aster knew that reaction, understood what it meant, and did not stop or pull away. Stopping would be cruel and pulling away to finish with his hand would ruin the pretty skirt. But he wasn't quite prepared when Jack arched with a cry of his name, arousal twitching in his mouth as he came.

Aster swallowed reflexively and pulled away only when he was sure Jack was done. His Snowflake did not have an unpleasant taste, he decided, licking his lips and breathing heavily. Jack trembled before him, cheeks flush as he tried to regain his breath. Blue eyes, darker because of arousal and completion, opened and looked up at Aster hungrily, causing the Aussie to raise an eyebrow. Jack shifted, sitting up and placing a pale hand against his tanned chest as a slow grin curled those pretty lips. Aster found himself being pressed backwards by that hand, and he went with it, curious to see what his Snowflake was up to.

"You don't really think I'm going to leave you hanging, do you?" Jack asked once he had Aster leaning back against the other end of the couch, his other hand deftly undoing the artist's belt and pants. The smaller man made a sound of surprise and looked down, discovering that Aster wasn't wearing underwear. Grinning wickedly up at Aster through his lashes, Jack moved swiftly down the tanned chest until he reached his goal.

"Hadn't thought 'bout....nnngh!" he began responding, cutting off with a moan as warm wetness enveloped his length. He'd been hard before going down on his Snowflake, but Jack's reactions had been more than enough to make him painfully so. His hands found slender shoulders and squeezed slightly as Jack began to move and lavish attention on him.

It did not take him long before he was trying to stutter out a warning, barely managing to get out and earning himself a moan of assent. With a cry of Jack's name - not his feminine name, but his real one - Aster came.

They lay cuddled on the couch, enjoying the afterglow, a few minutes later. Suddenly, Jack tensed and Aster instantly went on alert.

"Snowflake?" he asked softly, looking down at the white hair resting on his chest. Ice blue eyes looked up at him.

"I just remembered that the day after tomorrow, my parents will be here. They're coming to 'check up on me'," he replied, sounding a little less than thrilled. Not sure what to say to that, Aster gave his lovely a gentle squeeze, earning himself a small smile in return. "Hey, want to come meet them? They already know I like guys, and I kinda mentioned I have a boyfriend to Mum the last time I talked to her...."

"Yeh sure they'll be okay with yeh datin' someone like me?" Aster asked with a small smile, eyebrow raised. Jack laughed.

"You're a good sight better than my _last_ boyfriend! Thankfully, they never met him, just heard about him over the phone. I'm sure they'll be fine with you," was the response.

"A'right," he agreed. "When're they comin'?" Cuddled on Aster's couch, the two began discussing Jack's parents and their visit and making plans to introduce Aster to them.


	8. This is Gonna Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to meet the parents! Well, the closest ones anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can thank Kayasurin for the posting of this chapter. No, really; go over to her page here on AO3, read her stories, and gush over how awesomely she writes! Just...do it after you read the chapter, yeah?

Aster thought he knew what to expect when the dorm room door opened. So his surprise at seeing a white-haired young man dressed in nice jeans, light blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a nice navy blue vest, and penny loafers on the other side of the opened door was more than understandable. The way his blood rushed in his ears, his heart sped up, and the reaction of certain other areas of his body, however, caught him off-guard.

"Aster! I-I wasn't expecting you yet." The voice was the same, so was the slight stutter.

"Snowflake?" he finally managed to say. The young man blushed, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear only to realize it wasn't long enough, and that move confirmed the youth's identity in Aster's mind. "Crikey, luv! Yer...."

"Different?" Jack asked, looking apprehensive.

"Dashing, actually. But, yah, different works, too. Bu’ different in a good way. Yer a beaut, is what yeh are." He paused, glancing up and down the hallway. "Don't s'pose I can come in, can I?"

"What? Oh! Yes! Please, come in." Jack stood back, allowing the Aussie to enter the dorm room. Aster entered and Jack closed the door behind him, then fidgeted.

"C'mere," the taller male said softly, opening his arms. He chuckled a little when the white-haired youth practically darted into his embrace. Jack seemed to relax a bit when strong, tan arms wrapped around him and held him close. "Now, what's all tha fuss 'bout?"

"My parents are visiting, remember? Aside from hoping they like you, I kinda have to wear what my dad calls 'normal clothes'. I won the last battle about my hair color, but the price was getting it cut. I can't grow it out till I'm on my own."

"Wow, sounds like they're a right pair o' pricks. So, yer hair's naturally white, then?"

"Yeah. To both. I fell into a frozen lake when I was 12. It shocked my system and my hair started turning white not long after. My parents made me dye it brown for years."

"Why?"

"Because having naturally white hair at age 12 isn't 'normal'." Aster felt Jack roll his eyes. "I was terrified of coming out to them because they're so hung up on 'normal'. Lucky for me, my Mom somehow already knew and took care of it for me. My gayness somehow isn't an issue, but me feeling cute and comfy in 'girl's clothes' is the end of the world." Aster couldn't help his chuckle at Jack's disbelieving tone. They stood like that for a while, Jack happily drinking in the silent acceptance and strength Aster offered him.

A knock at the door startled them both.

Reluctantly, Jack pulled away from Aster, took a deep breath, and went to open the door.

Aster would have been hard pressed to describe the couple on the other side without using the phrase 'stick in the mud'. The woman smiled at seeing Jack, but it never fully lit her face. The man looked stern and intimidating; but the Aussie refused to be intimidated. They both had brown hair and brown eyes, and Aster wondered where Jack's gorgeous blues came from. Jack greeted them both and bid them enter, leaving the door open on purpose.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Aster Bunnymund," Jack began, moving to the Aussie's side and taking his hand almost defiantly, "my boyfriend." There was a flicker of disgust before it was masked with surprise, though Aster worried he may have imagined it.

"'Tis a pleasure ta meet yeh," he said, extending his free hand to Jack's father. The man took it and shook his hand, giving it a squeeze as he did so. Aster, having expected such a response, held firm, neither increasing his pressure nor trying to wince away. This had the desired effect of a spark of respect coming to life in Jack's father's brown eyes.

Jack's mother, on the other hand, was a different story. Once he reclaimed his hand, he offered it to her. She did not take it; instead she walked around him, as if appraising him. It made him feel like meat at market.

"What do you do, Aster?" she finally asked as she stood before him once more. Her eyes bored into him and the Aussie got the distinct impression that no matter how he answered, she was not going to approve of him.

"I work at a coffee shop an' am a student here. Graduate student, ma'am," he replied, slipping his hand into his pockets and shrugging.

"What are you studying?"

"Art." Then, to answer her next questions before she asked them, "Double majorin', too. Illustration an' paintin'." He met her disapproving frown with an easy smile. She didn't have to approve; he was an artist and always would be. He loved it too much to stop just because his girl-boyfriend's stick-in-the-mud mother didn't approve.

"Not a very lucrative future," she finally stated. Aster shrugged.

"People've a'ready commissioned me fer both, an' paid good money fer my work."

"Ah, yes, but not enough." Ah, he saw where this was going and smirked inwardly.

"Oh, yeh mean me job at Santoff Claussen? Nah, tha's fer fun an' inspiration, no' cuz of tha money."

He grinned at the shocked expressions on all three faces. So priceless!

Jack was the first to recover, a broad grin splitting his elfin face. His grin broadened further when he glanced at his parents. Aster felt his chest swell with pride and love when his Snowflake winked at him.

"Mom, Dad. How about we show you around campus and town?" Jack said, his laughter in his voice.

The four of them left the dorm room to have an adventure in barely avoiding places and people who had never seen this side of Jack.


	9. Running Up That Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the visit, Jack makes implications that cause Aster to drop a bomb in Jack's lap. Then Jack drops a bomb of his own.

Jack flopped back onto his bed with a groan and Aster echoed it from the chair he’d claimed.

“Thank **GOD** they’re gone!”

“Yah, Snowflake. Yeh got tha patience of a saint wit’ ‘em.”

“I can’t believe they were grilling you like that. I’m sorry, Aster,” Jack said, sitting back up and looking at his boyfriend, toeing his shoes off. The Aussie just waved it away with a soft sigh. “I wish I could tell you for certain it’s because they only want what’s best for me, but if that were the case, they wouldn’t be constantly trying to get me to go to a different college or choose a different major.”

“What?” Aster perked up at that, sitting up in his chair from taking his boots off and pinning Jack with his green gaze. “Yer kiddin’ me, righ’?”

Jack shook his head, white hair tousling with the movement. “I wish I was. Let’s just say that I’ll be glad when I can be out on my own. But until I’m out of school and have a job, I’m stuck.”

“Move in wit’ me,” Aster offered without hesitation, leaning forward in the chair.

“What? You can’t be serious!”

“Yeh heard me an’ I am.”

“But...” Jack was cut off as Aster got up from the chair only to sit right next to him on the bed. 

“Yeh’ve mentioned yer unhappiness, Snowflake. Yeh have ta hide who yeh are an’ try ta be sommat yer not jes’ ta keep tha two pricks who call themselves yer parents happy, yeh ain’t allowed yer own happiness, yeh’ve got restrictions out the wazoo…. Do I need ta continue? Yeh said yeh can’t be yerself till yer out on yer own, yah?” He only paused for Jack’s nod. “Yeh can be out from under their tyranny by movin’ in with’ me. I make enough fer tha both of us, so yeh can jes’ focus on yer schoolin’ an’ on who yeh wanna be.” Aster took Jack’s delicate hand in his. “‘Sup ta yeh. But I wanted tha offer out there fer yeh.”

“Aster…” Tears were welling up in his eyes, and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop them. Nor did he want to. The offer was tempting; he could dress as he wished and be who he wanted to be and his boyfriend would never look at him oddly. He could be _himself_.

A smile slowly bloomed on his face and the next thing Aster knew, he had a lapful of Jack and was the recipient of a very enthusiastic kiss. He was so distracted by the kiss, he didn’t register agile fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt until cool hands pressed against the skin of his chest. His own hands had found Jack’s slender hips and it was only the scattered shreds of his self control that kept him from tossing his boyfriend onto the bed and stripping him.

They were both breathless and panting by the time Jack broke the kiss. Pale cheeks were bright with the flush of arousal, making Aster groan softly at the sight. An abused lower lip was caught between white teeth and the Aussie was nearly undone. 

“I think,” Jack said, his voice husky with need, “that I’d like to take things a little farther, if you don’t mind.”

All Aster could do was nod slightly, trying desperately to regain a little bit more control of himself. If this was what his Snowflake wanted, he was not going to deny him. He only hoped his inexperience in this area wouldn’t be noticed. That wasn’t to say he was a virgin, of course; he’d taken a very small number of lasses into his bed back in high school. But Jack was no lass, even if he dressed the part, and Aster had never been with a guy before.

Those cool hands pressed just enough against his chest before sliding up and over his shoulders, pushing his shirt off them in the process. Aster leaned in and captured Jack’s lips in another kiss, deciding that his boyfriend was wearing too many clothes. Slipping his arms from his shirt, he set to work undoing the buttons on first the vest, then the pretty blue shirt. In less than a few scant moments, his agile fingers were tracing toned muscled hidden under silky skin. It was enough to cause Jack to gasp, breaking the kiss.

Aster didn’t mind, though, changing course and pressing his lips to that pale throat. Long, delicate fingers made their way into his curls and clung. He couldn’t help the low growl that Jack’s actions pulled from him, and he nipped lightly at the pale skin under his lips, earning himself a gasp and moan.

“Yer wearin’ too much,” he said into the skin under his lips as he drug them down to a pale shoulder while he pushed the shirt and vest off of them. Jack struggled to get his arms out of the offending material while Aster pressed kisses into cool flesh that was swiftly warming, making his way down and across a pale chest. He latched onto a nipple when he came across it, causing Jack’s back to arch nicely right as he managed to get free of the shirt.

“Aster!” he gasped, fingers finding their way into his curls once again.

“Mmm?” He made a questioning noise, busy as he was with his task at hand.

“Pants…” was the groaned response. Pants? Ah, yes. As in the things they both were still wearing that were going to make things more difficult if they didn’t get removed. He reluctantly pulled away, but only to watch his hands undo the belt on Jack’s jeans. Pale hands darted to his own belt, making short work of it and the buttons below. “Heh, shoulda figured,” Jack said, his voice rough as Aster gave a sigh of relief from being released from the constraints of his pants.

“I thought yeh figgered out I don’ wear undies,” he teased, undoing the button and zipper of Jack’s jeans. He tugged at the waistband of them and the pretty panties underneath. It seemed his Snowflake rebelled in little ways against his parents. He liked that.

Jack slid off his lap and proceeded to tease him by sliding the jeans down slowly, revealing long pale legs and drawing a needy groan from him. By the time Jack was standing there in his pretty panties, Aster had wiggled out of his own pants. He ached for his Snowflake; especially when the lad looked at him hungrily like he was.

“Looks like you like what you see,” Jack teased, coy little grin curling one corner of his mouth.

“I love it,” Aster corrected, making Jack blush and bite his bottom lip. He pointed to the panties, barely able to restrain his Snowflake’s arousal. “This’ll be a whole lot easier with those off, though.” The reaction was instantaneous as Jack hooked his thumbs into the waistband of the panties and pushed them down the same path his pants had taken. Only when he was certain the article was clear of those long legs did Aster reach out and pull Jack on top of him on the bed and into a very passionate kiss.

The feel of their bodies sliding together made them both moan. Shifting, Aster managed to get more on the bed, then rolled so he was above Jack, bracing on his forearms as he looked down into beautiful blue eyes, the kiss broken by his rolling.

“Yer sure yeh want ta do this?” he asked, mentally kicking himself for it. But Jack just smiled up at him and nodded.

“Yes. I want you,” he said. “Just...be gentle, okay? I’ve never….” He trailed off when Aster’s green eyes widened.

“Yer a virgin?” he asked. He gave a little chuckle at Jack’s nod. “I guess yeh could say we’re in tha same boat, then, Snowflake.”

“You? Surely you’ve done this before!” Aster blushed at Jack’s disbelief and he shrugged.

“With a small handful o’ lasses, Snowflake. Never a bloke b’fore,” he admitted. Jack gestured to the nightstand by the bed and Aster pulled the drawer out. Reaching into it, he found a small bottle, which he pulled out to inspect. It was lubricant; he smirked down at the beautiful young man beneath him, earning himself a blush.

Aster didn’t stay and tease, though. Instead, he dropped the bottle on the bed and reached back into the drawer, trying to find one more thing. Reaching up, Jack pushed his arm up, his hand coming up empty from the drawer. He looked down questioningly at his Snowflake, who shook his head.

“I want to feel you,” he whispered, sounding a lot more sure than he felt. He was nervous, but excited all the same. The smile he received from Aster warmed his heart and he watched his lover shift back with the bottle he’d bought a little while ago. He blushed and bit his lip as he watched the taller man open and use the bottle, then gasped at the feeling of a finger pressing against a place no one had ever touched before. Slowly, he felt the finger slide into him and he focused on his breathing in order to keep from tensing up.

Before he knew it, the pressure had transformed into pleasure and he found himself pushing back against the finger moving within him. He gasped as he felt a second slide in, and it was too much, both in discomfort and in waiting.

“Aster, please!” he begged. He needed his lover to put out the fire that had taken up residence in his body, running through his veins like lava. Aster must have understood what he was begging for, because the fingers retreated and he felt his lover shift to lay over him.

“Tell me ta stop an’ I will,” Aster said, trembling with need. “Or if it hurts an’ I’ll stop then, too.” He kissed Jack sweetly, guiding himself to press against his lithe lover. “I don’ wanna hurt yeh, Snowflake. I love yeh.”

“I love you, too, Aster,” Jack replied breathlessly. Slowly, Aster pressed into him and his neck arched, head thrown back as he gasped and tried to keep his breathing even. Fingers could never have prepared him for the sensation of being filled!

It was slow, but once hips met hips, Aster stopped, making only little movements to keep from sticking. As Jack relaxed, he increased his movements until he was thrusting into his lover.

Aster was gentle, making love to Jack as if they had all the time in the world. But each thrust pushed Jack higher and higher until his body tightened and his world exploded in a riot of color behind his eyes. He trembled, clinging to Aster and hearing his name on those wonderful lips as his lover followed him over the precipice.

They cuddled together in the afterglow, Aster having grabbed a cloth to clean them both up with. Jack felt like he was the cat who ate all the cream in town, his head pillowed on the strong shoulder of his Aussie lover, awash in the feelings of things he had no name for.

“I love you,” he sighed contentedly. Aster gave him a gentle squeeze, his heart swelling at the sound of those three little words.

“Love yeh, too, Jack.”


	10. Arms of an Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving happens. It's both wonderful and angsty. Then more happiness. Also, there is a skype call.

Moving his beloved into his little flat was one of the best days of his life, Aster felt. He cringed a little, though, every time he thought about that day. Not because it had been bumpy or because he was allowing his love into his sanctuary and safe haven, but because of the wickedness of Jaquelyn’s parents.

They’d shown up about half-way through the moving of things (Tooth, Thom, Nicholas, and Sandy were all helping, as were a few other baristas from Santoff Clausen; everyone was happy for them both and it was kinda like a little party more than anything, with a side of moving stuff from the dorm room to the flat) with a whole bunch of boxes of Jaquelyn’s things and several pieces of furniture, and just simply dumped them in the parking lot outside the dormitory. Granted, dear ol’ dad had been careful with the furniture, and the boxes hadn’t been dropped so things hadn’t been broken, but they’d done it and not even said a word to Jaquelyn. In fact, the gits had done it while the lot of them had been at Aster’s flat, moving things in, and they’d discovered the pile - surprisingly untouched - when they returned for the last couple of boxes of her things.

All of them had known who had done it and Aster had held Jaquelyn as she’d cried into his chest while their friends loaded up their cars and Nicholas’ truck with everything they could. Together, they’d gone up to the dorm room and retrieved the last few boxes, adding them to the small pile the parents had left. Tooth offered to stay with the stack, in order to keep it safe, and Jaquelyn rewarded her with a teary smile.

Thom’s had been the first car unloaded, so he returned to the stash to get both it and Tooth. The eagerness in which the man had left made Jaquelyn giggle softly behind her hand. She and Aster plotted ways of playing matchmaker between the pair, much to the amusement of those left helping to move things.

Now, Aster sat on his couch, looking around his much-smaller-feeling flat and pondering. Jaquelyn had booted him from the kitchen, claiming his mere presence would burn the water (and little did she know how true that actually _was_ ), and he felt himself wanting to give her a bigger space to tantalize his taste buds with. Maybe someplace big enough, he could transform one of the rooms into an art room?

Boxes were stacked as high as Aster could safely stack them all around the flat. Some of them had been emptied, and those were broken down and waiting for their next assignment. As his lovely carried two plates out of the kitchen over to the coffee table (the only available table surface to eat on, as the dining table was covered both with boxes and sketchbooks), he came to a decision. He waited till she was seated next to him, their plates balanced on their laps for the moment, before voicing his thoughts.

“Snowflake?” She looked up at him questioningly, fork full of food in her mouth. He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips at how cute she looked. But then he got serious again. “I know we jes’ moved yeh inta here wit’ me, bu’ what d’yeh think ‘bout tha two of us gettin’ a nice house together?” He’d dropped his gaze to the plate as he’d begun speaking, so missed the widening of pretty blue eyes. “I’ve been thinkin’ that yeh deserve a right better place than this tiny flat, specially since yeh’ve been takin’ such good care of me. I got a tidy little sum squared ‘way fer such a thing; I think I been savin’ it up more after I met yeh, ta be honest.” The clattering of the fork to her plate drew Aster’s gaze upward to her. Tears had gathered in her eyes and when she blinked, one of them slid down her cheek. But she was smiling so brightly at him.

“You’d want to do something like that?” she finally asked, her voice rough with holding back her emotions.

“I love yeh. ‘Course I’d wanna do sommat like that, specially wit’ yeh,” he responded. Unable to keep the tears from falling anymore, Jaquelyn laughed. Carefully, she placed first hers, then his plates on the coffee table. Only then did she fling herself into his arms, laughing and crying happy tears.

“That would be wonderful, Aster!” she cried, burying her face into the space between his neck and shoulder. “You’ve never made me feel this way, but sometimes I can’t help but feel like I’m invading something sacred to you.”

“What?” He couldn’t help but hold her tighter. “No! Yer not invadin’! If anythin’, yer addin’ ta tha space, Snowflake. I look forward ta comin’ home, knowin’ yeh’ll be here. I’ve never really looked forward ta comin’ home before.”

She moved then, and kissed him soundly. He returned it, pouring just as much love into the kiss as she was.

It was much later that night - Jack was sprawled on the bed, barely tucked under the sheet and fast asleep - that Aster found himself sitting bleary-eyed at his little laptop and making a Skype call.

“Aster!” came the cry of surprised joy as the other end answered. He immediately pressed his fingers to his lips, hissing out a soft demand for less volume. He quickly checked over his shoulder, making sure Jack hadn’t been awakened. Grateful that all the cry had earned was a shifting of the lithe body, he turned back to find his mother looking at him, amusement written all over her face. “Ya shoulda gone inta a different room, yeh gumby,” she chastised him softly.

“Good ta see yeh too, Mum,” he responded, quirking his lips a little in a smirk. She shook her head at him, chuckling softly.

“So, when do I get ta meet her?” Yup, his Mum headed straight for the heart of the issue, as usual.

“Soon as I get tha chance,” he promised, then he got serious. His Mum sensed it, even so far away, and leaned forward to listen. “Mum, I’ve got some news fer yeh, but I’m kinda worried how yeh might take it.”

“Yeh should know by now I’ll love yeh no matter what. Didn’t get to tell you that Sorrel brought his boyfriend to meet us finally, did I? The lad is so sweet and treats your younger brother very well.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m bisexual, Mum,” he blurted out. He hadn’t known that Sorrel had finally come out to their parents, let alone found someone to take care of him and introduced them. His mother just smiled.

“I was wonderin’, ta be honest,” she admitted softly. “That’s not a lass behind yeh on tha bed, but a lad. What’s his name?” She was taking it all in stride so far. He only hoped she could continue to do so.

“His given name is Jack. But, would yeh mind callin’ him ‘Jaquelyn’ an’ usin’ tha feminine pronouns?” His mother’s expression became confused for a few moments and he couldn’t find the words to explain. But it wasn’t necessary. He was glad she’d answered and not his Da, if only because she seemed to catch onto things a lot swifter than most.

“Trans or crossdresser?” she asked. He studied her face for a moment before confirming the latter. She smiled brightly. “Get me her measurements, then, boy! I’d love ta make a pretty dress fer her!”

“Mmmm...Asht’r?” came the sleepy voice from the bed. His Mum smiled as he turned away.

“Yah, Snowflake. I’ll be right there.”

“Who’re you talkin’ to?”

“My Mum. She wants yer measurements ta make yeh a dress yeh’ll get when we visit ‘em.” He ignored his mother’s quiet snickers.

“Oh, okay. Hi, Mum,” his love mumbled from the bed before rolling away and pulling the sheet up higher. Aster couldn’t help the smile on his face or the soft sigh as he turned back to his Mum. Who was smiling so happily at him.

“Yer so in love, Aster, and it’s wonderful. We look forward to meeting yer love as soon as yeh can bring her over ta meet us.” Then she straightened and turned on her ‘Stern Mother’ look. “Now, I want yeh ta get offa this call with me an’ go crawl back inta bed. Glad ta see yeh, boy. Glad ta see ye’re bein’ kept fed, too.”

He chuckled softly and shook his head, grinning. “Yes’m. She keeps me well fed; learnin’ tha culinary arts, she is. I’ll call yeh ‘gain soon, Mum. Love yeh. Give my love ta tha rest.”

“Will do. Sweet dreams, Aster.” Then she ended the call. Smiling to himself and feeling quite like he could float around instead of walk, Aster closed his laptop, got up from the chair, and crawled into bed, wrapping around his love who promptly snuggled back into him with a soft happy noise.


	11. Epilogue: Don't Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping things up! Oh, also, there's a reappearance of a highly disliked person.

Once they finally began looking, Aster and Jaquelyn came to discover how similar and how different their tastes were. Jaquelyn was determined to have a lovely kitchen and Aster wanted enough rooms for a studio and a spare. It took a little time, but they managed to find a nice little house that they both thought was perfect.

Aster was able to buy it outright, without having to get a loan from the bank, as he’d managed to save more than he’d thought he had. Everyone who had helped them move Jaquelyn’s belongings into his flat signed up to help them both move into the house. And Aster even got a surprise as his family, plus a few extras, flew in from Australia to aid with the move and to meet Jaquelyn proper.

Once more, it was more like a party than an actual move, and everyone not only helped lug in boxes and furniture, but helped unpack and clean things as they went. Aster’s family adored Jaquelyn, much to her and Aster’s delight. The only dark spot of the day was the appearance of Jaquelyn’s ex, Pitchner Black. He kept getting in her way, trying to talk to her and stop her from moving things into the house. At least, he was until Amaranthe, Lilac, Sorrel and Sorrel’s boyfriend ganged up and intervened. Aster watched, worried and heading for the front door, as Amaranthe dropped his hand heavily on Black’s shoulder, turning him to face the four of them. Aster missed hearing what was said as he reached the front door the same time as his father and Jaquelyn. His Da took the box she’d been carrying and she curled into Aster’s arms. But the three of them watched as Black paled more than he already was, his eyes wide as he nodded, backpedaling down the driveway until he’d reached his car, the quartet following and only stopping when the sleaze was in his car and driving away.

Once everything was put away where Jaquelyn and Aster wanted it and they’d all had an opportunity to get cleaned up, everyone ended up at Santoff Clausen. Nicholas had closed the shop for the day, expecting the move to take a while, so declared that all drinks were on the house. Jaquelyn realized that most of her clothes were dirty except for certain pieces, so she’d had to dress accordingly. It made her a little uncomfortable as they entered the coffee shop, but Aster’s family seemed to roll with the change.

Thom had slid behind the counter to help make drinks, Toothiana back there as well and helping. Jack and Aster shared a secret smile as they spotted the pair behind the counter share a quick kiss. As the party went on - and it was a party, for Nicholas had ordered catering - Aster noticed Jack was struggling to keep the smile on his face and that he kept referencing things that he knew had to have been said by Black. Finally, Aster’d had enough.

“Jack,” he stated, just loud enough to grab everyone’s attention. “It don’t matter what yer wearin’ or which yer tryin’ ta be, guy or girl, yer still my Snowflake and I’m still gonna love yeh.”

Jack sobbed in happiness, trusting the earnestness in Aster’s voice, throwing his arms around Aster’s neck and burying his face against his chest as he cried and laughed all at the same time. Aster let him be for a moment, wrapping his arms around the lithe form before carefully pulling away and dropping to one knee. He looked at Thom and nodded once; the barista threw something and he caught it swiftly. Turning back to Jack, who was looking at him in confusion, he opened and offered up the small ring box he held.

“I’d like ta prove my love ta yeh everyday fer tha rest of our lives. Will yeh marry me, Jackson Frost?” he asked, then held his breath as Jack tried to compensate for the shock of what was happening. The entirety of Santoff Claussen was hush with suspense.

Then Jack choked on another sob, his hands covering his mouth as he visibly tried to collect himself enough to answer.

“ _Yes_ ,” he said softly, dropping his hands to reveal a smile that was getting wider even as his cheeks darkened with a blush.

Grinning like a fiend, Aster stood, removed the ring from the box, and slid it onto Jack’s left ring finger. The he pulled Jack close and kissed him, earning them cat-calls and hollers from the rest of the coffee shop as they cheered for the happy event.

Jack was finally getting his ‘happy ending’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all have enjoyed this story! I struggled through some serious bumps while writing it; Writer's Block, my Momma's passing, life getting out of hand. But for those of you who have stuck with me and read it as I posted it, I thank you so very much! You, my readers, are the reason this story actually has an end!
> 
> Special thanks to Kayasurin who kept begging me for more in chat and to CleverCorgi for making sure this final chapter flowed well!


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